In the early 1950s, Monk's career was hampered when his cabaret card (a license to work in city venues that served alcohol, and therefore, for a jazz musician a most important identification document) was revoked after a drug-related incident. His meant for years he couldn't legally play in nightclubs. By 1957, Monk regained his cabaret card and his career reignited. He took up a residency at the Five Spot Cafe in New York where this album was recorded on August 7, 1958: It was a heyday for Monk, with live interactions showcasing both his edgy, eccentric style and his band's ability to blend with his unique musical vision. It is an essential document of Monk's work in the late 1950s, along with Misterioso. The records captures not just the music but the feel of a tight New York club - glasses clinking, audience reactions, and a charged energy in the air. Producer Orrin Keepnews purposefully left these sounds in, to give listeners the feeling of being there. Thelonious in Action documents Monk at a moment of renewal and recognition, finally back in the spotlight, shows Monk's ability to thrive in live performance, where his wit, timing, and eccentricity come through more vividly than in some studio sessions.

Goin' Up is the second album by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, a classic in the hard bop era, full of fire, finesse, and rich interplay. Released on May 1961 it was recorded in November 6, 1960 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Following his debut "Open Sesame" (1960), with "Goin' Up" continued Hubbard's partnership with producer Alfred Lion and sound engineer Rudy Van Gelder, forging his hard bop signature. The record is a bold and soulful statement from a young Freddie Hubbard 22 years old at the time: his command and creativity are on full display, supported by an all-star ensemble as Hank Mobley, McCoy Tyner, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones. Their synergy is palpable: Tyner's dynamic modes, Chambers' grounding bass, and Jones's rhythmic drive provide a powerful foundation for Hubbard and Mobley to stretch out. The album blends spirited hard bop energy with emotional depth, ideal for anyone exploring Hubbard's formative and most exciting studio work: a few outstanding solos, playing lyrically on the ballads and building his own sound out of the Clifford Brown/Lee Morgan tradition. "Goin' Up" is a defining moment for Hubbard's early career: a hard bop session with emotional breadth, technical prowess, and top-tier musical conversation.

MEETS: CLASSIC COLLABORATIONS 1957-59

This re-release campaign from Contemporary Records is a fantastic initiative to celebrate their 75th anniversary in 2026. By offering a limited-time encore pressing of 28 of their most representative and popular albums (including two already available on Everything Jazz), the label is giving both long-time fans and new listeners a special opportunity to own these classic West Coast jazz recordings. The choice to use the SHM-CD format suggests a focus on superior audio quality, making this set a highly anticipated and valuable collector's item for jazz aficionados looking to commemorate the label's significant legacy.

The Jazz Platinum 1100 - Jazz Expo 2025-2026' is a special, limited-time campaign where 19 record labels, ranging from prestigious to unique, have gathered to offer a curated selection of 187 jazz titles, including both classic staples and hidden masterpieces. Solid. 2025.

Never-before-released recording recorded live at the Penthouse jazz club in Seattle on August 12 and 19, 1967 with pianist Rahn Burton, bassist Steve Novosel and drummer Jimmy Hopps. This infectious music was originally recorded by radio DJ Jim Wilke for KING-FM radio. Transferred from the original tapes and restored and mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab. The deluxe limited 2-CD edition includes an extensive booklet with rare photographs and liner notes.

From the "Jazz Masterpieces Best & More" series once released by EMI, 30 carefully selected works are being reissued on SHM-CD. None of the titles overlap with "Jazz Department Store" or "Everything Jazz"! - Universal. 2025.

From the "Jazz Masterpieces Best & More" series once released by EMI, 30 carefully selected works are being reissued on SHM-CD. None of the titles overlap with "Jazz Department Store" or "Everything Jazz"! - Universal. 2025.

CTI All-Time Collection - Phase 2 (60 Titles) This comprehensive reissue series celebrates the legendary American jazz label CTI Records and it's sub-labels Kudu and Salvation, presenting 60 classic titles in total. Each release is accompanied by a deluxe booklet, faithfully reproducing the original liner notes from the Japanese LP editions, making this collection both a rich listening experience and a collector's treasure.

Herb Alpert is back to share some happiness and cheer during that favorite time of year! This holiday season, HERB is releasing the third Christmas album of his long and illustrious career. Entitled CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE, this new album is chock full of holiday classics. Listen to Herb's take on beloved carols like "Jingle Bells", "Winter Wonderland", "Greensleeves", and "Sleigh Ride". And enjoy original spins on other recognizable hits like Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You", Rodgers & Hammerstein's "My Favorite Things", and Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song". And of course, the title track, made famous by the iconic 1960s A Charlie Brown Christmas holiday special: "Christmas Time Is Here". Break out the eggnog, hang your holly, and get ready to celebrate another beautiful Christmas with Herb Alpert!

Japanese resissue, part of the Timeless 50th Anniversary (1975-2025) campaign. Ultra-Vybe. 2025.

Japanese resissue, part of the Timeless 50th Anniversary (1975-2025) campaign. Ultra-Vybe. 2025.

Colin Hancock's Jazz Hounds ft. Catherine Russell - Cat & the Hounds - "With Catherine and I both having Caribbean roots and ties to Panama, the story of the Panama Limited had to make an appearance somewhere in this project. Add to that the fact that Luis Russell, Catherine's dad, was present on the original recording of this tune and that I am a scholar on Ada Brown, the tune's original vocalist, and you have the perfect storm for the blues."

ALLOY

Edward Gardner, now in his fifth season as Principal Conductor, continues to shape the LPO's distinctive sound with authority and brilliance. Gardner's long-standing relationship with Tippett's music is captured once again in this powerful live performance of A Child of Our Time. Recorded live in concert at London's Royal Festival Hall, this powerful performance - with the voices of the London Adventist Chorale especially deepening the soul-stirring impact of the Spirituals - highlights Gardner's long-standing affinity with Tippett's music, bringing conviction and emotional depth to this searing work of oppression, compassion and hope.

Part of Universal Japan's 'Everything Jazz - Vol. 3: Concord Edition' reissue campaign. Features the high-fidelity UHQCD format. Green color label coating. Universal. 2025.

Part of Universal Japan's 'Everything Jazz - Vol. 3: Concord Edition' reissue campaign. Features the high-fidelity UHQCD format. Green color label coating. Universal. 2025.

Nonesuch Records releases pianist and composer Brad Mehldau's Ride into the Sun-a songbook recordof music by the late singer, songwriter, and guitarist Elliott Smith. Featured musicians include singer/guitarist Daniel Rossen (Grizzly Bear); singer/mandolinist Chris Thile (Punch Brothers, NickelCreek); bassists Felix Moseholm (Brad Mehldau Trio) and John Davis; drummer Matt Chamberlain (FionaApple, Tori Amos, Randy Newman, etc.); and a chamber orchestra led by Dan Coleman. Ride into the Sun's ten Elliott Smith songs are complemented by four Mehldau compositions that he says are "inspired by, and reflect, Smith's oeuvre." Also included are interpretations of Big Star's "Thirteen," which Smith also covered, and "Sunday" by Nick Drake, who Mehldau says, "I look at in some ways assort of Smith's visionary godfather." Recalling how he first got to know Smith and his music, which has been a regular part of his repertoire for years, Mehldau said that after years living in New York, he moved to Los Angeles "and there was this wonderful scene of singer-songwriters that was congregating at a club called Largo. That included Elliott but it also included artists like Rufus Wainwright, Fiona Apple. And then other musicians who had been around for a while would come down every Friday night to sit in on a gig that was led by Jon Brion. I played behind Elliott on his own tunes with Jon. It felt to me like a kind of renaissance in songwriting that flourished for a number of years."

The Art Ensemble's daring finale to their BYG Actuel trilogy, captured in the heart of Paris, 1969-a seismic moment in free jazz history, now reborn in it's ultimate remastered edition, lovingly restored from the original tapes, wrapped in deluxe packaging, and enriched with fresh insights from acclaimed writer John Masouri. Reese and the Smooth Ones was captured during the same revolutionary Paris session as Message to Our Folks, but stands apart as a two-part, 40-minute odyssey of unchained invention. Arriving in Paris just days before recording, the Ensemble-Lester Bowie, Roscoe Mitchell, Malachi Favors, and Joseph Jarman-landed with nothing but their instruments, ideas, and a fierce determination to create. Funded by the proceeds of Bowie's personal sacrifice, their journey from New York was a leap of faith that sparked an artistic revolution. Their Paris performances stunned audiences with a bold fusion of free jazz, spoken word, Dadaist theatre, and Afrocentric consciousness, setting a new precedent for what music could be. This deluxe reissue celebrates a defining moment in the Art Ensemble's legacy-raw, urgent, and uncompromising. It's an essential document for longtime fans, collectors, and anyone interested in the outer edges of jazz, politics, and sound.

Ingredients In A Recipe For Soul proved that Ray Charles didn't so much ignore genres, but, by the '60s, had become a genre unto himself. An academic might want to separate this stack of songs into neat little buckets-country, jazz, standards, blues, pop-but those are just the ingredients. Ray Charles sings whatever he likes and whatever he sings comes out as a Ray Charles song, with a flavor all it's own. Two hit singles, "Busted" and "That Lucky Old Sun," made Ingredients In A Recipe For Soul an instant Top Ten when it was released in 1963. Bootlegged across Europe for decades, this is the fi rst and only legitimate reissue of this essential album on vinyl (and it's fi rst appearance on CD since the 1990s), now fully restored and remastered with the full cooperation of the Ray Charles Foundation.

Mats Lidstrom / Leif Kaner-Lidstrom - "Swans". Inspired by Saint-Saens's iconic piece "The Swan (Le cygne)" from the Carnival of the Animals, cellist Mats Lidstrom and his son Leif Kaner-Lidstrom present no fewer than 24 "Swans" from across the world and down the ages. Featuring composers as diverse as Fanny Mendelssohn, Orlando Gibbons, Ravel and Villa-Lobos, the album offers up two-dozen musical reflections on the unmistakable and much-loved Saint-Saens original.

Part of Universal Japan's 'Everything Jazz - Vol. 3: Concord Edition' reissue campaign. Features the high-fidelity UHQCD format. Green color label coating. Universal. 2025.

ULTIMATE COLLECTION

From the "Jazz Masterpieces Best & More" series once released by EMI, 30 carefully selected works are being reissued on SHM-CD. None of the titles overlap with "Jazz Department Store" or "Everything Jazz"! - Universal. 2025.

From the "Jazz Masterpieces Best & More" series once released by EMI, 30 carefully selected works are being reissued on SHM-CD. None of the titles overlap with "Jazz Department Store" or "Everything Jazz"! - Universal. 2025.